VoIP on NTT docomo phones

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew if there is a VoIP service/software available out there that is compatible with NTT Docomo and Nokia phones. Here's my situation: my j-gf and me want to talk over mobile only, and knowing that VoIP calls are always free on the same network this would be a good option. I have tried Skype and PennyTel but though they work for me, it doesn't work on her NTT Docomo phone. My gf is clueless about technology and i can't research about japanese VoIP easily on the net, so is there anyone here who knows if any exist?

Any other advice is appreciated.

Home U service
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/service/convenience/homeu/

24hour free
Home U phone---Home U antenna---(inter net)---Home U antenna---Home U phone
1.Home U phone
N-06A
N906il onephone
2.Home U antenna
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/service/convenience/homeu/flow/home_antenna...
3.Home U Internet
flets(NTT)
nonsense service..........

you-you-call discount for the time being
save 30%

i think softbank mobile White plan is cheap and easy.

mmm im sorry but could you explain to me what that Home U thing is? I don't want to call Japanese landlines(Skype and PennyTel already have offers to call unlimited and untimed to landlines) but only mobile. I looked at softbank white plan but it looks to me it's a regular plan but free for softbank to softbank?

I'm sorry if this sounds confusing but I'm looking for a VoIP service that is compatible with NTT AND Nokia phones so we could talk to each other for free while overseas(She in Japan and im in Australia). Or any other cheap alternatives if that's not possible. Currently im with PennyTel VoIP and i pay 0.1585c AUD per minute, per second billing and no flagfall

Thank you!

I've never heard of anyone using their keitai phone for Skype, but some of my friends use Skype with their PC. Maybe your gf could get a notebook and install skype on it to call you. I think most keitais can take international calls nowadays. I doubt if phone companies here would allow a competing service on their own handsets.

ahhh yea there are quite a few people at least outside japan who use skype on their handset. It allows calling their skype contacts on it for free, so long as you have the data. That's how VoIP works and there is even a skypephone(google it) and you'll see. So, if i install skype or pennytel on my phone(which is compatible) and my friend in USA also installs skype or pennytel(which is also compatible and for most mobiles AUS and USA are quite similar) then it would be completely free to call skype-to-skype or pennytel-to-pennytel, given you use your own internet data. The only thing that will cost me is if i call a non-pennyTel or non-Skype number. Unfortunately, the phones in Japan are unlike alot of the mobiles for the rest of the phone and alot of the software written for VoiP are not compatible with NTT docomo phones!

Ah yea, i already do go on skype using a webcam with her every week. It's just those lonely days where she misses me where the traditional mobile to mobile that costs me the most. So again, if anyone finds any information regarding any compatible software, or a rate which would be less than 0.1585c per minute(for mobiles) it would be much appreciated =)

ps. yea i'd figure this is pretty impossible and agree japan won't let competitors in but with VoIP as an emerging consumer technology there are alot of loopholes and already i can call friends in USA or singapore absolutely free if they have compatible mobiles, so i hope someone knows something. Thank you

typo:
Unfortunately, the phones in Japan are unlike alot of the mobiles for the rest of the world

Have you checked for VoIP providers in Australia that will let you have a virtual phone number in Japan?

I'm in Canada and use Vonage which allows me to have a virtual phone number in the US (which I do have) for about $12 CA a month. This lets a good friend of mine call me any time of the day and it is considered a local call for them.

Just wondering if there is something similar for you in Australia so that your girlfriend in Japan could call a local number any time she wants and it forwards from the VoIP system to your cell phone.

can you buy international calling card?
Japan-Mobile 18.9c/min
japan direct calling card etc..

hi again,

ah yea ive seen the virtual number thing. Unfortunately with PennyTel they only have virtual numbers for Singapore, Malaysia and USA...and with Skype it's really dodgy because you have to pay in order to receive calls too if you receive on a mobile...

I will definitely try and research more, there are ALOT of voip providers and ive been looking at them slowly slowly. Thanks for that.

I have also found gateway routing websites which give you local numbers to connect internationally at the price of a local call(essentially the same idea as yours "..."):

www.smartcalling.com.au
www.aussiecall.com.au
www.makefreecalls.com.au

but unfortunately they dont have any that connect to Japan!!! sigh...
will continue to search for more voip providers for that virtual number

oh and i have already looked at prepaid calling cards, usually they have shifty billing and variable call quality. VoIP is already as good as, if not better than calling cards in my opinion, but thanks for that suggestion too

oh and ps. i have no idea why this topic is moved to the living section, i am not living in japan at the moment(although i've been there 3 times) and this thread asks about international calls to and from australia and japan but yea, i originally posted this in the others section.

Thanks

flintz,

This thread is probably in the living section as it is the expatriates in Japan that will most likely be familiar with your problem and will be able to help you. I'm am one those and have been looking into this exact situation for years now and the best solution I've found so far is to use skype as you have mentioned. The main reason is that at 15c/min its actually twice as cheap than a local cell call in Japan, so this rules out ideas such as you getting a local Japanese number or using other clients such as skypelite.

However, there may be other workarounds like installing a client on your phones. This would be specific to your phones and it would help if you mentioned the model of your nokia phone and your gfs docomo phone. As far as I'm aware the only Docomo Phones that would remotely have a chance at this are the Blackberry Bold and the new HTC Magic running android. All the other models are pretty locked down software-wise and if there are no official voip offerings (which there is a slim to none chance of) then you're probably out of luck and will need to figure out services external to the phone (which gets really complicated).

Unfortunately there is no easy answer and besides finding a calling card with rates better than skype's 15c/min I think the method that you are using is one of the cheapest and easiest. Also, can you post in detail what your current method of calling each other is, i.e. do you use skype from your mobile, what is your skype account type, etc. I'll think about it some more and let you know if I come up with anything.

hi yllwsmrf, thank you for the reply

hmmm may i ask how do you get the 15c per minute thing? Is this in Australian currency or US? If it is the latter, please ignore my question haha. I have used skype before and get charged 20c per min AUD on top of a local call.

To answer your request I currently use an Australian(well there is an office in Aus but also in UK, Singapore and other areas) VoIP provider at the moment called PennyTel. There is a "geek" forum called whirlpool for Australian mobiles and internet technology and they had recommended me this one. My mobile, Nokia E71, has a native inbuilt VoIP support software that allows me to make VoIP calls connected to access points. I only call my gf while im at home, whereby i make VoIP calls to her mobile using my home wi-fi connection. I get charged 0.1585c per min AUD only

I was hoping she could also connect to PennyTel, and strangely enough she couldn't. PennyTel's website has a section where mobiles just have to go to a specified address(http://www.pennytel.com/m/), log in, and this will be like MSN/ICQ etc. where you just call your other PennyTel contacts from it. Unfortunately, she can't seem to log in...
This is what prevents free calls between us.

I haven't checked other VoIP providers but from the geek forums there are about 30 and i've been researching slowly, reading the plans, calculating cost, how to set up, fineprint etc.
hopefully i will find something

I have originally used skype and somewhat still do. I use skype for webcams as i said, but that is computer to computer. I downloaded skypelite on my phone but again my gf can't download skypelite for her's(which should be obvious because there is a list of compatible phones on the website none of which are japanese). I noticed that if i receive a skype call i get charged for receiving anyway which wasnt good. So a call from Skype to Japanese mobiles are 20c + cost of local call. On my mobile this would cost quite abit, so i used the Skype-to-go number which charges the same, BUT i can call from my landline which makes the local call for me free(i get unlimited local calls from my landline as part of another plan) I haven't really checked the online number thing but if you know, thanks for any help :)

the main thing that annoys me with all this is that PennyTel, Skype and other VoIP providers, most of them have some sort of deal for unlimited calls or untimed calls to UK/US/Singapore/Hong kong landlines + mobiles BUT NOT JAPAN! Skype and Pennytel both have unlimited calls to Japanese landlines but yea, we call each other when we miss alot and sometimes its really late or quite personal so we try to avoid that and talk on mobiles only.

anyways, thanks if you are reading this and thank you again for all the replies so far, the intention to help is much appreciated

try Softbank Iphone.it offers Skype.

flintz,

Sorry, I made a mistake earlier and it was 15 cents/min USD, so disregard that.

I was hoping she could also connect to PennyTel, and strangely enough she couldn't. PennyTel's website has a section where mobiles just have to go to a specified address(http://www.pennytel.com/m/), log in, and this will be like MSN/ICQ etc. where you just call your other PennyTel contacts from it. Unfortunately, she can't seem to log in...
This is what prevents free calls between us.

I am unfamiliar with pennytel, but I looked into it and it looks interesting. I'm not sure why she was unable to log in, however as in theory she could using her phone's web interface. Do you know what her phone model is btw?

I created an account to check it out myself and I am unsure how the mobile interface would allow her to call you. Do you just plug in both numbers and it connects the two over voip, in theory only charging your the 15 cents/min for the Japan part of the call?

the main thing that annoys me with all this is that PennyTel, Skype and other VoIP providers, most of them have some sort of deal for unlimited calls or untimed calls to UK/US/Singapore/Hong kong landlines + mobiles BUT NOT JAPAN!

This is due to the expensive mobile network in Japan, which is also what is killing all my ideas for getting you cheap calls. Unless you can get pennytel to work, or have either you or your gf buy a different phone, then I think using skypelite is gonna be the cheapset (easy) way to call. But I'll let you know if I come up with anything else. How much do your local calls cost anyway?

try Softbank Iphone.it offers Skype.

But only when on a wireless internet network and not over cellular. However, if you or your gf had an iphone you could use IM+ for Skype to connect you two for between 20-26 australian cents/min mobile to mobile. Of course the savings are offset by the cost of a new phone so its probably not an option unless you were already considering switching.

Hi again,

sorry i just realised i made a mistake and the charges i incur are $0.1585AUD per min, not c haha

1. Her mobile is the NTT N-03A Style series...pink if that that info is needed...

2. Are you trying to use landline or mobile to connect voip? If you use landline you need to buy the special hardware. If you use mobile, you need to have the native voip software installed and configured(special phones like my Nokia E71 has this and its easy as pie) or, either download the PennyTel program(which i have used and it connects) or just go to www.pennytel.com/m which is the program itself online(got to check this).

Any of these ways get you to connect to pennytel. Remember, all you are doing is connecting to pennytel using the internet, so all u need is the internet.

After that, IF the other person is also connected to pennytel, and either one of you rings the other(like Skype/MSN etc.) then its free. IF the other person isn't connected to pennytel, pennytel would have to route your internet call into a cellular call and that will charge you that low rate(for me its 0.1585AUD per min). No flagfall, per second billing and no contract.
I hope i made it as clear as possible...

3. Ahh i see i see, yea Japan always seems to be expensive in every way for me....but yea thanks ill give you a heads up too if i find anything. Btw, I pay $90 a month for my home phone and broadband internet, and i get unlimited local calls(mobiles and landlines).

4. Yea i could get an iphone, thank you for the suggestion but i think ill save the money for my trip to japan again ;)

all good

2. Are you trying to use landline or mobile to connect voip? If you use landline you need to buy the special hardware. If you use mobile, you need to have the native voip software installed and configured(special phones like my Nokia E71 has this and its easy as pie) or, either download the PennyTel program(which i have used and it connects) or just go to www.pennytel.com/m which is the program itself online(got to check this).

Any of these ways get you to connect to pennytel. Remember, all you are doing is connecting to pennytel using the internet, so all u need is the internet.

Thats how I understand it would work. What I was wondering is how the mobile webpage would connect to her phone. Presumably, it would ring both you and her and would incur an australian and japanese connection fee (if I remember correct that would add up to about $0.40/min total). That would explain why there is both a TO and FROM field on the mobile site. I guess I could try it but I don't want to waste $10 just to sample it.

4. Yea i could get an iphone, thank you for the suggestion but i think ill save the money for my trip to japan again ;)

Yea, its not the most practical solution. However as of today, apple will allow voip over the cellular data network. As soon as the next version of skype is released it would allow Australian iphone users to dial Japanese cellphones from anywhere for $0.20 AUD/min. Something to watch, but then again nothing beats meeting in person.

T What I was wondering is how the mobile webpage would connect to her phone.

hmmm im not too sure about this, i should really try and get a friend who can connect to pennytel to experiment with me with that web program. Here's a couple of scenarios i can think of:

1. I login to the webpage, i put my pennytel no. in the FROM field, and i put my friend's cellular number in the TO field. Pennytel makes the call and charges at that low rate.

2. I login to the webpage, i put my pennytel no. in the FROM field, and i put my friend's Pennytel number in the TO field. Pennytel makes the call and if my friend was connected to pennytel via landline voip, or mobile voip natively, charges are free.

3. I login to the webpage, i put my pennytel no. in the FROM field, and i put my friend's Pennytel number in the TO field. Pennytel makes the call and if my friend wasn't connected to Pennytel at all, nothing happens.

I THINK(not sure about this) the webpage just initiates a call, so the receiving end must be connected to pennytel natively already. An exception may be a Pennytel SIM. I am not too sure about how call forwarding works, but i did try to forward another pennytel number to my gf's mobile but that doesn't work lol. Do note that all the scenarios are just guesses but that's at least how i think it works...

Since they say you can initiate a call from any web enabled phone, then I suspect that either you or your gf could log into pennytel, put you numbers into the TO/FROM fields (wouldn't really matter which goes where), and then it would dial you both and connect the calls (kinda like a conference call with pennytel in the middle). This is exactly how I use skype right now with IM+ as the client to connect the calls through skype. Otherwise, if pennytel requires their app to be on the phone then they wouldn't be able to claim it works with all web enabled phones.

ah yea but how would they create free calls from pennytel to pennytel using the web based app?

or in ur case, how does IM+ detect skype to skype calls?